Brucellosis Facts (cont.)

Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD

Dr. Charles "Pat" Davis, MD, PhD, is a board certified Emergency Medicine doctor who currently practices as a consultant and staff member for hospitals. He has a PhD in Microbiology (UT at Austin), and the MD (Univ. Texas Medical Branch, Galveston). He is a Clinical Professor (retired) in the Division of Emergency Medicine, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, and has been the Chief of Emergency Medicine at UT Medical Branch and at UTHSCSA with over 250 publications.

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.

Is it possible to prevent brucellosis? Is there a brucellosis vaccine?

It is possible to prevent or reduce the chances of developing brucellosis. Simple methods such as avoiding known infected animals, never drinking unpasteurized milk, and, if associating with potentially infected animals, wearing gloves and/or a mask reduces the chances of infection.

Because brucellosis is mainly a disease involving livestock, vaccines have been developed that are effective for cattle, sheep, and goats. Unfortunately, there is no vaccine available for use in humans.

Medically reviewed by Robert Cox, MD; American Board of Internal Medicine with subspecialty in Infectious Disease